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IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE THE WORD CAFUNÉ IS A GESTURE OF AFFECTION TOWARDS A LOVED ONE.

THIS PROJECT IS A GESTURE OF AFFECTION TOWARDS RIO DE JANEIRO IN ALL ITS EXTREMES. FOCUSING TANGENTIALLY ON THE "PACIFICATION" OF THE FAVELAS OF RIO, THE PROJECT IS A DOCUMENT OF THE MARVELOUS CITY DURING THE WORLD CUP, THE OLYMPIC GAMES, THE POPE´S VISIT AND THE MASSIVE PROTESTS IN 2013.

WHILE THE WORK DOCUMENTS A FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD IN BRAZILIAN HISTORY, THE PROJECT IS BOTH PERSONAL AND INTIMATE.

A PHOTOGRAPHER´S DIARY OF THE JOY AND SORROW OF A CITY AS INTENSE AND UNEQUAL AS RIO DE JANEIRO.

A PERSONAL RECONCILIATION AND A BITTERSWEET FAREWELL TO A PLACE AND A TIME OF EXTREMES.

CREDITS

Created by Rafael Fabrés

Translation - Seoirse O’ Mahony, Sarah Rink, Bruna Ruaro, Marcos Van Oppen & Rosana Ardanaz

Voice-over - Vivian Camargo

Art director / Graphic designer (Book) - Ramon Pez

Production Assistant / Art director - Carmen Cuesta & Carlos Barradas

Post Production / Color Grading - LaTroupe, ClorofilaDigital & AuthSpirit

Editing - Bernardo Moedas &KanseiSounds

Interactive designer / Developer - Neon Sky

Produced by Caminito Films & USAL

THE AUTHOR

Rafael Fabrés (Madrid,1982), is a photographer and filmmaker specializing in documentary storytelling.

He holds a BA in Media Communication (UEM) and a Master’s Degree in Cinematography (ESCAC).

Rafael´s work explores the connections between identity, displacement and belonging in his projects.

After having lived in Central and Latin America for more than a decade working as a photojournalist, he felt compelled to dig deeper into his past experience and expand his visual approach beyond his previous perspective.

This led to his first book titled Cafuné (2020), focusing tangentially on the "pacification" of the favelas in Rio; the work was a personal perspective of the Marvelous City during the Pope’s visit and the massive protests in 2013, the World Cup of 2014 and the Olympic Games of 2016.

The book “Cafuné” was launched at the 2020 Visa Pour L´Image festival and won awards at the 2020 Prix de la Photographie Paris, the 2021 Lucie Photobook Prize, the 2022 Rotterdam/Tiradentes Photo Festival, the 2023 Florida Museum of Photographic Arts International Photography Competition, the 2023 Les Nuits Photographiques de Pierrevert Festival and the 2023 Urban Photo Awards/Trieste Photo Days.

A series of short films, photo projects and exhibitions followed, all part of an ongoing interactive Web Project founded by the Spanish Brazilian Studies Institute.

Rafael is currently working in his two next long term projects between City of Mexico and Madrid.

PROJECT RECOGNITION

Over the years, material from this body of work has been published in outlets such as Time Magazine, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, El Pais Semanal, Gatopardo, Der Volkskrant, Helsingin Sanomat, Le Monde, L´Expansion and Paris Match, and been awarded with POYi Award of Excellence, Photocrati Fund Honorable Mention, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation Grant Finalist, International Photography Awards, Emphasis Crowdfunding Campaign winner and Prix ANI (Association Nationale des Iconographes) Finalist.

EXHIBITIONS

2023- (Solo) Urban Photo Awards. Trieste, Italy

2023- (group) Florida Museum of Photographic Arts - Tampa, USA

2023- (group) Estartspace - Madrid, Spain

2023- (group) Les Nuits Photographiques de Pierrevert (screening) - Pierrevert, France

2021- (solo) Centro Estudios Hispano Brasileño Universidad Salamanca - Salamanca, Spain

2020- (group) Visa pour l'image Festival (screening) - Perpignan, France

2019- (group) "DKV Creadores de Conciencia" - Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza & Gijon, Spain

2018- (group) "DKV Creadores de Conciencia" - Barcelona, Spain

2017- (group) "Upfront Colective" - CDMX, Mexico

2016- (solo) Academia de España - Rome, Italy

2016- (group) "Upfront Colective" - Madrid, Spain